| Unwarranted interference? |  The Department of Health are trying to push a new bill that will set up a central bargaining chamber for negotiations in private sector health industry pricing. As medical aids are now forced to cover certain prescribed minimum benefits (PMBs) there is concern that schemes may be exploited by service providers who know that these conditions have to be covered.
Over the past few years private health care in South Africa has become concentrated among three major players - who account for about 80% of the market. This, in itself, could be a concern in terms of any kind of control over medical costs.
This proposed new bill is not popular among most of the private healthcare industry. Some go as far as saying that it will sound the death knell for private medicine in South Africa. But is it in fact such an imposition? At the moment hospitals and specialists can effectively charge what they like and over the past five years private health costs have spiralled - now increasing considerably faster than the inflation rate. People land up with co-payments, even if they are on good medical aids and private health care is simply unaffordable for many.
Hospital groups turn big profits for their share holders and I must admit that I don't know a private specialist who is anything other than wealthy. Believe me I think that doctors should be well remunerated for what they do and I also know just how hard most of them work for their money. But in this world of spiralling costs and increasing inequality, I do think that there is room for some kind of cap on costs and if the sector are not prepared to do this voluntarily, then perhaps intervention is needed.
Bridget Farham Editor
https://www.bizcommunity.com
| | Headlines
MedicalGLOBAL: Sex crimes by aid workers “under-reported”The extent of sexual abuse by aid workers and peacekeepers is being under-estimated because mechanisms to encourage victims to speak out against their attackers and to protect them are poorly developed, the British non-governmental organisation Save the Children warns in a report released today. CANSA to announce environmental cancer research - CANSAThe Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) will host a media conference on cancer and the environment at its Cape Town office on Wednesday 4 June 2008, the day before World Environment Day. Young woman waits for the right bone marrow donor - Greta Wilson PublicityShow your support for 25-year-old Carey Boucher and enjoy yourself at the same time.
CardiologyHigh dose Lipitor can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in bypass surgery patients - Magna CartaPfizer Inc announced recently that Lipitor® (atorvastatin calcium) 80 mg significantly reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke, by 27 percent in patients with heart disease who had previous coronary bypass surgery compared with patients taking the 10 mg dose of Lipitor.
Chronic diseasesEarly insulin therapy may be beneficial in type 2 diabetesEarly therapy with insulin may prolong beta-cell function, according to an article in The Lancet. Mediterranean diet massively cuts risk of diabetesA diet rich in olive oil, vegetables, fruit and little meat appears to cut the relative risk of type 2 diabetes by 83%, according to a new study. Cocoa may improve artery health in diabeticsA mug of hot cocoa may improve the health of arteries in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Dental diseaseSink your teeth into your health careResearchers have found that lack of dental care may have life-threatening implications.
Food crisisETHIOPIA: Soaring malnutrition hits children hardestGenetu Dekebo's children were on the verge of starvation at the time she decided to seek treatment at Rophi therapeutic feeding centre in southern Ethiopia's Oromiya regional state. UGANDA: Food crisis, starvation in the northeastUganda's remote northeastern Karamoja region is facing a humanitarian emergency due to widespread food shortages, with some local people already starving, senior officials said.
HIV/AIDSAngola: Should intentional HIV/AIDS infection be a crime?Proposed reforms to Angola's Penal Code have divided opinion in the country about whether HIV-positive people who intentionally infect others with the virus should be punished. Oral HIV tests highly effectiveTwo oral HIV tests have been found to be highly effective in studies in Namibia, paving the way for their use in resource-limited settings. ANGOLA: Should intentional infection be a crime?Proposed reforms to Angola's Penal Code have divided opinion in the country about whether HIV-positive people who intentionally infect others with the virus should be punished.
Hospital GroupsInnovative product by Medi-Clinic and MedicAlert - Medi-ClinicMedi-Clinic Southern Africa and MedicAlert are introducing a new product - the MED-e-KEY, a memory stick that can be carried on a MedicAlert member's key ring, in a purse or wallet. The MED-e-KEY holds medical information that may be vital in an emergency.
Infectious diseasesAnother bird flu virusScientists in the United States have identified a second H strain of bird flu that could cause a pandemic.
MalariaBeyond DEETSeveral new substances repel mosquitoes three times longer than DEET, study says. Kenya targets counterfeit drugsKenya is to deploy intelligence units to address counterfeit malaria drugs, health official says.
Medical AidHIPAA Revisited, Part 1: Privacy vs portabilityIn the 12 years since the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was enacted, organizations in the United States have gone to great lengths to comply. However, advances in technology are leading to calls for more flexibility in the movement of personal health information.
Medical TechnologyNew wound dressing made of silica gel fibresA new type of wound dressing made of silica gel fibres will soon help to heal difficult wounds caused by burns or diabetes.
NPOCape Town's Somerset Hospital in urgent need of fundsCape Town's Somerset Hospital is asking companies to donate upwards of R50 000 towards new equipment for the hospital. MSF responds to outbreaks of violence in JohannesburgMSF is currently providing care for people displaced by xenophobic violence in Johannesburg.
OncologyThe status of breast health management in South Africa - Mango-OMC[Professor Justus Apffelstaedt] Now is a good time to reflect on the status of breast health management in South Africa and how we can improve the fate of women in an environment with limited resources.
PaediatricsCat owning children may be protected against asthmaA study released by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, shows that cat ownership may have a protective effect against the development of asthma symptoms in young children.
Public healthHealthy doctors equal healthy patientsKnow the one about the definition of an alcoholic? Shipping diseases?Ships are inadvertently carrying trillions of stowaways in the water held in their ballast tanks. When the water is pumped out, invasive species could be released into new environments. Disease-causing microbes could also be released, posing a risk to public health, according to an article in the May issue of Microbiology Today. SAMA supports World No Tobacco DayThe South African Medical Association (SAMA) supports World No Tobacco Day on 31 May. The World Health Organisation's (WHO) theme for World No Tobacco Day 2008 is “Tobacco-free youth” - as almost half of the world's children breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke. A call to reduce tobacco use among the youth - Magna CartaWorld No Tobacco Day, 31st May 2008, [Johannesburg] - On Saturday the World Health Organization ‘Tobacco Free Youth' campaign calls for ‘a total ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products' to reduce youth tobacco use.
Women's healthAppearance and weight trumps disease in women's concernsAccording to a the second in a series of findings from the Meredith/NBC Universal "What do Women Want?", when it comes to health, 56% of women are more concerned about diet/weight and 36% about eating right, while only 23% express the same degree of concern about cancer, 20% about heart health, and 18% about diabetes. | | |
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